Junction box forlow profile raised panel flooring

ABSTRACT

A junction box that organizes and provides access electrical, data, telecommunications or other service lines routed through numerous channels formed between a false floor and an existing floor is disclosed. The housing of the junction box can be placed at virtually any point upon a false floor so that equipment disposed about the false floor can access outlets provided within the housing and connected to electrical, data, telecommunications cables or other service lines. Additionally, a hatch with a cable protector may be provided to cover the junction box while allowing cables to enter into the box for connection to the appropriate outlet. In another embodiment, a flange surrounds the top edge of the junction box housing and has holes through which pedestals or posts that support a false floor may insert. Guards, for preventing inadvertent contact with the outlets within the junction box, attach to the flange and run parallel to each side of the housing to form a channel that isolates cables leading to the junction box. The cables are connected to the outlets that may be held in the junction box by frames that slide into notches in the housing. The frames may be of a uniform size and formed from a dielectric to provide electrical insulation between the outlets and the junction box housing. The center of the frame can be machined in order to accept many different sizes and types of electrical components, thus eliminating the need to ground the junction box or redesign the housing each time a different supplier provides components.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part of co-pending applicationSer. No. 08/294,441, filed on Aug. 23, 1994, which is a continuation inpart of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/218,373, filed on Mar. 25,1994, both of which applications are herein incorporated in theirentirety by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a junction box that organizes andprovides access to electrical, data or telecommunications cables orother service lines that are routed through channels formed between afalse floor that is supported above an existing floor.

Various flooring systems have been developed that are designed toprovide spaces or channels between an existing floor and a false floorsupported above the existing floor. The resulting channels are then usedto carry various cables, wires, hoses, compressed air lines, powerlines, phone lines or water pipes across the floor or to any pointwithin the room. Most such false flooring systems were developed inresponse to the need for better organization and delivery of power, dataand telecommunications cables needed for the plethora of differentelectronic equipment (e.g., computers, facsimile machines, telephones,modems, etc.) used in modern offices. By providing a false flooringsystem with multiple channels through which cables can travel, equipmentwithin a room can be readily replaced or moved or new equipment added byaccessing the channels within the false floor and removing, reorganizingor adding the appropriate cables.

Such false floors or raised panel floors typically utilize removablepanels laid side-by-side upon raised support members in order to afforda free space where conduit, cables, hoses, wires and other computerinterconnections can be routed. Many false flooring systems useadjustable jacks at each panel corner as a means of support. The supportjacks for such systems are located only at the corners of the panels,which are usually square with sides of 500 to 600 mm. Accordingly,rigidity and mechanical stability of the floor must be achieved throughthe use of very thick panels, usually 30 to 40 mm thick, sometimesincluding a framework which transfers the load to the jacks. Due to theloss of usable height, these types of false flooring require an overallheight of 150 to 200 mm, which is incompatible with low ceilings inexisting buildings and requires new facilities to be built with addedheight. As an example, if one considers a 200 mm false floor at eachlevel of a thirty-story building, the additional required height becomessix meters, the equivalent of two stories. Installing such a false floorin existing buildings requires the construction of ramps and steps aswell as fire and soundproofing barriers. Finally, such structures aresometimes noisy and act as resonators. In any event, installing existingfalse floors as part of a building renovation or in new construction, isboth involved and costly.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,157 to DuCroux, et al. (the "DuCroux patent"),incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference, describes a falseflooring system that includes base plates with a fairly dense pattern ofsupports or stand-offs that support false floor plates while providing anetwork of channels through which cables, hoses and similar servicedelivery lines can be routed. This system solves many problemspreviously associated with false floors, including such problems asdescribed above. In addition to forming the false flooring system taughtby the DuCroux patent by heat forming or injection molding of a plasticcompound such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS, analternative, noncombustible material, such as metal, may be formed intothe false floor system. Details and the resulting advantages ofaccomplishing such a construction are fully described in pending U.S.application Ser. No. 08/114,447, filed Aug. 31, 1993 for "Low ProfileRaised Flooring With Metal Support Structure," incorporated herein inits entirety by this reference.

However, while much effort has been expended in developing falseflooring systems, generally little innovation has been directed toproviding an interface between the cables traveling within the channelsunderlying a false floor and the equipment that must be connected tocables traveling within those channels. For instance, the false flooringsystems disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,089,893 to Greulich,and U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,437 to Heather, each utilize a false floor panelsupported by a plurality of projections between and through which cablescan pass. A simple aperture, through which a cable can be pulled toconnect either to an outlet fitted within the aperture or to a specificpiece of equipment, is the only interface provided between the channelsbeneath and the equipment above the false floor. Such an approach may beappropriate when there are relatively few cables to deal with andskilled personnel are available to wire each electrical, data,telecommunication or other cable to the appropriate outlet or machine;however, a major motivation for using false floor systems has been thegreat number of cables and interconnections necessary for the variousmachines residing in the modern office and often used by technicallyuntrained persons.

Other attempts at providing an interface between the office equipmentdisposed at various points about a false floor and the cables underlyingthe false flooring system have resulted in complex, difficult to installand/or move structures. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,289 to Boyddiscloses a box, which must be embedded into the structural floor, forproviding service connection points. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No.4,968,855 to Le Paillier discloses a "distribution slab" for wiringbuildings. One embodiment illustrates a slab in which the outlets faceupwards, thus requiring that spacing within the channels created betweenthe base and lids be increased where bulky connection devices or plugswill be utilized. Another embodiment places outlets within one or morelids that can be raised or lowered. When the lid is lowered the outletsare inaccessible; however, when it is raised, while accessible, outletsare exposed to the environment and the raised lid and outlet becomes ahazard to those traveling the false floor.

Much like the Le Paillier "distribution slab," U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,647to Bogden, et al., discloses a "distribution block" that inserts intoone of four compatibly shaped knockouts disposed in each corner of afloor plate. Once the appropriate knockout is removed, the distributionblock inserts into the knockout and connects with modular electrical"whips" composed of electrical wires and end connectors. Electricalsocket outlets and a cover plate are then fixed into the distributionblock so that the outlets are exposed. Because the knockouts are formedin flooring plates through perforations, once the perforations areruptured and the knockout plate removed, there is no means for replacingthe knockout. Accordingly, in order to change the position of an alreadyinstalled distribution block, not only must the block be laboriouslyunfastened, but the entire floor panel would need to be removed andreplaced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The junction box of the present invention may include a housing withfour sides joined to form a square, with receptacles provided foroutlets. The housing may be formed from sheet steel or other appropriatematerial so as to be held in place by contact with stand-offs. A hatchaccesses the outlets within the housing. The junction box acts as aninterface between (1) the electrical, telecommunication, data or otherservice lines traveling through channels formed beneath a false floorand (2) the equipment resting upon the false floor that must connect tothe correct service line. Various outlets within the junction box may beprovided for electrical, telecommunication or data transmission lines ofthe flush or forward type or may be pierced with holes for passage oflines through the junction box directly to a specific piece ofequipment.

Installation of the cable junction box is accomplished without thenecessity for fastening means, such as screws, adhesive or clamps, asthe housing of the junction box is shaped to fit tightly between theposts or stand-offs which support the false floor plates above thestructural floor. The housing can be comprised of a single unit orseveral pieces assembled into various shapes, preferably a square, allof which fit tightly between the stand-offs supporting a false floor. Nospecial fasteners or other attachment means need be used, as frictionalcontact between cutouts in a flange or ledge running along the top ofthe housing and stand-offs will fix the housing in place. Utilizing ahousing of this construction, a junction box can be placed at virtuallyany point in the area covered by a false floor. Accordingly, not only isflexibility of position greatly enhanced, but the junction box readilycan be concealed in less traveled areas (e.g., underneath equipment orfurniture), yet be conveniently close to equipment so that ready accessto outlets within the junction box is provided.

Another embodiment of the junction box utilizes a housing that has aflange with holes through which stand-offs may insert in order to holdthe housing even more firmly in place. Protective guards connect to theflange to form a bracket which has one leg attached to a side wall whilethe other leg is capable of abutting against the surface upon which thehousing rests. Together, the guard, flange and side wall form a troughor passage through which cables may be routed to openings at each end ofthe passage or to openings in the guard that may be formed by punchingout preformed reliefs. Additionally, because the back of the outlet willproject into the passage, it is isolated from accidental contact orbreakage by users, installers or personnel servicing or rearranging thecables that are attached to cable connectors secured within the junctionbox. The housing of the junction box can be formed by stamping andfolding sheet steel or other material as appropriate, as an extrusion ofeither galvanized steel or, because of the additional support providedby the protective skirt and flange, synthetics material.

Once a housing is established between the desired stand-offs, a flooringplate with an appropriately located and sized aperture is selected sothat the outlets within a housing are accessible to persons desiring toconnect office or other equipment to an outlet. Not only may virtuallyany grouping of stand-offs be selected to locate the housing, butbecause a floor plate having an aperture located in various positionscan be supplied, a junction box may be placed and accessed on virtuallyany point of a false floor. Moreover, upon rearrangement of equipmentdisposed about the false floor, the cables, which are provided withextra length, are left connected to the outlets within the housing ofthe junction box while the entire Junction box, including the housingand access floor plate, is moved to a new location. The cables may thenbe rerouted through the channels within the false floor to the newlocation. Alternatively, the cables readily may be disconnected from theoutlets while the junction box is moved to a new location, with eitherthe same or new cables reconnected to the outlets.

Typically, electrical or other components to which cables connect areoften of different sizes, depending either on the type of component orthe component supplier. Rather than customizing each housing to accepteach type of component, the sides of the housing may include a pluralityof standard notches. Frames, formed of plastic or some other, preferablydielectric, material may then be used with particular components or withparticular suppliers' components. Each frame has edges into which aremachined grooves that each accept the edge of the notch to thereby holdthe frame within the housing. The correctly sized cutout for theparticular component can be machined into the frames. A variety offrames with different sized component openings can be provided as aninstallation package to the installer, who will select the proper frame,snap the desired component into place in the frame and slide the frameinto the proper notch or hole in the housing. Thus, it is possible withthe relatively inexpensive, slide in frames to outfit the junction boxwith virtually any component demanded by a particular client.Additionally, because the frames may be formed of synthetics materials,any electrical components are isolated from the metallic housing and/ormetallic false flooring system, which eliminates the need to ground thejunction box.

An additional feature of the present invention is a hatch shaped tocover the access aperture within the floor plate, thereby ensuringforeign objects do not enter the junction box, possibly to damage theoutlets or cables within, while preventing the junction box frombecoming a hazard to persons or objects traveling upon the false floor.Moreover, the hatch can be covered with the same carpet or othercovering that is used on the flooring plates, thus concealing better thejunction box from passers by. A small cable protector in the hatchallows it to be fully closed while still providing an egress for one ormore cables entering the junction box and connecting to the outlets.

Although designed for use with any of the flooring systems disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,052,157, pending Reissue application Ser. No.08/110,656, pending patent application Ser. No. 08/114,447, and pendingpatent application Ser. No. 08/294,441, which documents are each herebyincorporated herein in their entirety by these references, the presentinvention can also be adapted for use with other false flooring systemsthat make use of a plurality of stand-offs to support various floorpanels (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,437 to Heather) or even upon otherappropriate surfaces such as walls. Thus, junction boxes according tothis invention may be fabricated to match the heights and shapes of theposts which support the false floor in which the junction box is used orto fit between the studs in a wall. Additionally, junction boxes can befabricated to the length and shape required to engage with the desirednumber of posts to obtain thereby the desired size of junction box. Moreor fewer outlets can be provided within a junction box depending on thenumber of cables needed to be organized and accessed.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aneconomical, simple-to-use junction box that interfaces with cablestraveling under a false floor and equipment placed at various pointsabout the false floor.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an easilyinstallable junction box that can be placed at virtually any point on afalse floor without the need for extensive connection methods orattachment systems.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a floorplate with an aperture through which the junction box is accessibleregardless of its location in the false floor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hatch tocover and protect the junction box and outlets within it from entry offoreign objects while decreasing the hazard that an otherwise openaperture would offer.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a cableprotector that will allow the hatch to be closed while still providingan abrasion-free entry for cables that must be connected to the outletswithin the junction box.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a varietyof frames that can be used to hold different sized components connectingto the cables and that can easily slide into any one of a plurality ofstandard sized holes formed in the housing sides.

It is an added object of the present invention to form the frames from adielectric material in order to isolate electrically the components fromthe housing of the junction box.

It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide aflange through which stand-offs can project in order that the flangeencircles the stand-offs completely to provide increased stability tothe junction box.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide aprotective guard that prevents contact with the components connecting tothe cables by forming a channel into which projects portions of thecomponents and through which cables can be routed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent with reference to the remainder of the text and thedrawings of this application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a square housing for a junction box of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an alternative housing for a junction box ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view taken along lines 2--2 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a raised panel flooring systemused with the present invention showing the floor panels exploded awayfrom two assembled base plate and stand-offs units lying on a floor.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. 1, shown with outlets and fixed between the stand-offs ofa false flooring system.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the inventionshown in FIGS. 2-3, shown with outlets and fixed between the stand-offsof a false flooring system.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a floor plate with an aperture designedto provide access to a housing.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a hatch used to coverthe aperture within a floor plate.

FIG. 9 is a partial side elevation view of a section through lines 3--3in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a second embodiment of a hatchwith a cable protector.

FIG. 11 is a partial side elevation view of a section through lines 4--4in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the junction box of thepresent invention shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a false flooringsystem provided with a junction box of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a side elevation view of a section through lines 5--5 in FIG.13.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of a third alternative embodiment of thejunction box of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a section through lines 6--6 in FIG.15.

FIGS. 17A-B are front and side views, respectively, of a slide in framefor use with a junction box.

FIG. 18 is a top plan view of the third embodiment of the junction boxshown in FIGS. 15 and 16, provided with the frames of FIGS. 17A-B anddeployed in the false flooring system shown in FIG. 13.

FIG. 19 is a side elevation view of a section through lines 7--7 in FIG.18.

FIG. 20 is a top plan view of a false flooring system showing variouspositions within a single floor plate in which an aperture that providesaccess to a junction box can be defined.

FIGS. 21A-D are top plan views of various positions in which a hatch canbe fitted into an aperture in a floor plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As shown in FIG. 1, housing 10 is composed of four sides 12 meeting in90° angles at corners 19 to form a square perimeter bounding open area13. Each of sides 12 has a top ledge 14 in which two rectangular holes16 and a semicircular cut-out 18 are defined. Housing 10 may be formedby stamping or otherwise forming an appropriate material, such as sheetsteel, so that two of sides 12 can be spot welded or otherwise fastenedtogether at one of the corners 19, with the other corners 19 simplycomprising, and the ledges 14 being formed by, bends in the materialfrom which housing 10 is formed. Conversely, alternative housing 20,shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is formed simply by bending or forming someappropriate material at each of corners 34, 35. Housing 20 has an openperimeter defined by base 21 joined at right angles to one end each ofsides 22, 23, with an open space 36 partially bounded between base 21and sides 22, 23. Semicircular cut-out 26 is formed in the perimeter ofledge 24 on base 21, and quarter cut-outs 28 are formed at eachnon-joined end of legs 22, 23. Housing 20 also has outlet openings 30surrounded by holes 32, which are provided so that an appropriateelectrical, telecommunication or other outlet can be secured to outletopenings 30, with the female end of the outlet facing towards open space36.

As shown in FIG. 4, base plates 52 are adapted to be placed on anexisting floor F. Fasteners such as nails 54 can be used to penetratefloor F through openings 56 and thereby secure base plates 52 to thefloor F. In use, base plates 52 are typically laid side-by-side in arectilinear pattern throughout the area of existing floor F, furtherminimizing the possibility that one base plate 52 will shift relative tothe others. Base plate 52 may additionally be weakened to facilitate itsdivision into multiple portions. FIG. 4 illustrates perforations 58bisecting length L of base plate 52, for example, as well as scoring 60for separating a pair of stand-offs 50 from the remainder of base plate52. Base plate 52 and its stand-offs 50 may be a one-piece construction,formed by heat-forming or injection molding of a plastic compound suchas polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS. Alternatively, baseplates 52 could be formed from sheet metal or some other noncombustiblematerial. As illustrated by FIG. 4, nothing precludes base plates 52 andstand-offs 50 being fabricated from separate modular pieces and fixedtogether. Moreover, to improve the grounding capability of system 110,some embodiments of base plate 52 include metal tabs 60 extending beyondthe edges of the base plate 52 and on which adjacent base plates 52 maybe placed.

Eight stand-offs 50, upon which floor plate 40 will rest and be secured,rise from each base plate 52. Stand-offs 50 are located in parallel rowsabout the base plates 52 so as to form a series of parallel channelsperpendicular to each other. Greater or fewer stand-offs 50 may becontained on a base plate 52 and the spacing of stand-offs 50 may bemodified as necessary or desired. A continuous lip 46 runs about theperimeter of floor plate 40 and may interlock with the top of astand-off 50, as in FIG. 4. Holes 44, through which screws 48 pass tosecure with bore 47 in stand-offs 50, are defined at each corner offloor plate 40 and further ensure that floor plate 40 is firmly securedto stand-offs 50. Floor plate 40 may be made of sheet metal, such asgalvanized steel, plastic or any other appropriate material, which maythen have attached sound absorbent or fire retardant material 49.

To position properly a housing, for instance, housing 20, upon a floorcovered with base plates 52 bearing stand-offs 50, as shown in FIG. 6,housing 20 is inserted between the selected stand-offs 50 so that eachof cut-outs 26, 28 contact with the top of a stand-off 50. Otherfastening systems, such as a notch in the top of a stand-off 50 forengaging with ledge 24 or adhesive, could be used to secure housing 20.Before being secured between stand-offs 50, housing 20 may be providedwith telecommunications outlet 66, data communications outlet 68 andelectrical outlet 70, with the female end of each facing space 36 formedbetween base 21 and sides 22, 23 of housing 20. Appropriate cables, suchas data communications cable 71, are then attached to a correspondingoutlet 66, 68 or 70.

Should more outlets be necessary, housing 10 can be inserted between adifferent group of stand-offs 50, as in FIG. 5. Housing 10 is providednot only with outlets 66, 68 and 70, but may also be provided withoutlet 72, which attaches to the interior of housing 10. Each of theoutlets 66, 68, 70 and 72 faces towards space 13 in the middle of squarehousing 10, which space 13 will be accessible through an aperture 42defined in floor plate 40 illustrated in FIG. 7, so that electrical orother equipment may be connected to any of the outlets.

FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a hatch 80 that covers aperture 42and upon which are formed tabs 82 and a cable opening 84. Tabs 82 insertinto holes 16 in the housing 10 so that the perimeter of hatch 80 fillssubstantially aperture 42. Although tabs 82 alone may support the weightof hatch 80, preferably the end of hatch 80 in which cable opening 84 isdefined, rests upon ledge 14 of housing 10, as best shown in FIG 9.Cable protector 88, shown in FIG. 10, may be provided for hatch 80.Clips 90 depend from hatch 80 and define holes through which a pin or arod 96 may be inserted to hold cable protector 88 within cable opening84. A cover 92 has arms 94, 95 for attachment to clips 90. Arm 94 isslightly longer than arm 95 and will contact the underside of hatch 80in order to prevent cover 92 from rotating below the plane of hatch 80.In addition to connecting cover 92 to clips 90, arms 94 and 95 act toprotect cable 104 from being abraded through contact with cable opening84. Cable protector 88 may rotate upwards around rod 96 when hatch 80 isin the closed position so as to provide access for cable 104, asillustrated in FIG. 11.

Junction box 100 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 12. Housing10 is situated between four stand-offs 50, labeled clockwise from topcenter, I, II, III and IV, respectively. Cutouts 18 engage the top ofeach stand-off I, II, III and IV with other stand-offs 50 situated abouteach corner 19 of housing 10. Within housing 10 are disposed variousoutlets 72 which may interface with electrical, data, telecommunicationsor other service delivery lines. The outlets 72 are accessed throughaperture 42 situated in the upper right-hand corner of a floor plate 40.Aperture 42 is covered by hatch 80 whose tabs 82 insert into squareholes 16 on housing 10 and provide the means by which hatch 80 isreleasably secured to housing 10. The junction box 100 is illustratedwith hatch 80 closed and no cables passing through cable protector 88,which is provided with a semicircular notch 102 that allows the cableprotector 88 easily to be opened so that the hatch 80 can then be liftedupwards or cable be passed through cable opening 84.

Note that another, smaller housing could be fitted between stand-offs I,II, III and IV so that each corner of the housing would contact one ofeach stand-off I, II, III and IV. Such a housing, observed through anopen hatch 80, would be in the shape of a diamond. Other shapes andsizes of housings can be used with stand-offs 50. Moreover, the presentinvention could be modified to fit between stand-offs shaped or spaceddifferently than those discussed herein.

For instance, FIGS. 13 and 14 show the housing 10 of the presentinvention used with the false flooring system 200, which is described indetail in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/294,441. Flooring system200 utilizes strips of sheet metal, typically galvanized steel, fromwhich are formed support pedestals 210 that remain connected by thestrip 230. Each of the pedestals 210 has two legs 212 connecting acentral section 220 to a connecting strip 230. Transversely extendingfrom the strip 230 of pedestals 210 are wings 240 (also formed from thestrip 230) that are designed to interlock with wings 240 of other strips230 bearing pedestals 210. Interconnecting a plurality ofpedestal-bearing strips 230 together, for instance by connecting wings240 via staples 246, forms a module 250 having a rectilinear, grid-likepattern of pedestals 210 connected via strips 230 and wings 240.Numerous modules 250 can be placed over and fixed to a floor. Floorplates 40 are then placed over the pedestals 210 and the housing 10 issituated between several pedestals 210 of a module 250 so that thecut-outs 218, which are generally trough-shaped, contact with the top ofa pedestal 210 to hold the housing 10 in the selected position.

Secured within junction box 100 in one of the sides 12 is an outlet 72that may interface with electrical, data, telecommunications or otherservice delivery lines traveling through the channels defined by thefloor plates 40, the floor F and the pedestals 210. Such lines couldalso travel between any pair of supporting legs 212 of the pedestals 210in order to reach the junction box 100, which serves as a distributioncenter to which equipment scattered about the top of the floor plates 40can interface for power or other services. Outlet 72 may be accessedthrough an aperture, optionally provided a hatch 80, situated in a floorplate 40.

An alternative embodiment of a housing 300 is shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.Housing 300 is composed of four sides 302 meeting in 90° angles atcorners 304 to form a square perimeter bounding open area 306. Each ofsides 302 has a top flange 308 that drops down at step 310 to form ashelf 312. Four holes 314 are defined in the flange 308 and shelf 312.Although holes 314 are generally rectangular, they can be of any shapethat will allow a stand-off, pedestal or other support to insert throughthe holes 314 and hold the housing 300. Skirts 316 connect to the farend of the shelf 312 and are generally parallel to and the same heightas each opposing side wall 302. Housing 300 may be formed by stamping orotherwise forming an appropriate material, such as sheet steel, so thattwo of the sides 302 can be spot welded or otherwise fastened togetherat one of the corners 304. Housing 300 may also be formed as anextrusion of any suitable material, including plastics or metalmaterials.

Each corresponding pair of skirts 316 and side walls 302 form a passage320 that is accessible at each end, as perhaps best seen in FIG. 16.Cable 328 travels through these ends or a preformed relief 322 that canbe punched out to form an opening. Cable 328 is connected to an outlet336 that may be inserted in a frame 330 shown in FIGS. 17A-B. Frame 330is sized to fit within the notch 324 and has a groove 332 running alongthree sides of the frame 330. When the frame 330 is slid into place,groove 332 accepts the edge of the notch 324 in order to seat the frame330 in the notch 324 via the resulting tongue and groove joint.

Electrical or other components or cable connection means, such as theoutlets 336, in the junction box 100 that utilizes the housing 300 andwhich is shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, may be easily attached to the centralopening 334 of the frame 330. Such attachment can occur by, forinstance, providing the outlet 336 with flexible prongs 338 that bendwhen the outlet 336 is inserted into the opening 334 in order to allowinsertion, then flex back to their original position to hold the outlet336 within the opening 334. Numerous frames 330 with different sizedopenings 334 may be formed of an inexpensive plastics type material andprovided to installers of the housing 300. For example, instead of thegenerally rectangular opening shown in FIG. 17A, the opening 334 couldbe a smaller rectangle or two adjacent rectangles that are capable ofaccepting telephone jacks. Frames 330 with the different sized openings334 allow easy installation of virtually any type of component, whetherelectrical outlet, data communication outlet or telephone jack,regardless of whether the same components are produced by differentmanufacturers. Frames 330 save significantly on installation time, andthus labor cost, since the installer need only snap the chosen outlet336 into the correct frame 330, slide each such assembled frame 330 intothe notch 324 in the housing 300, and then place the housing among thepedestals 210, as shown in FIG. 18. Once the housing 300 is in placeamongst the selected pedestals 210, a floor plate 40 can be placed uponthe pedestals 210. Step 310 allows the lip 46 of a floor plate 40 tooverlap the step 310 and abut against the shelf 312, which will providefurther support and stability to the floor plate 40.

Frames may also be used with the housings 10 or 20 by providingsnap-locking tabs on the outer edges of the frames. The tabs would holdthe frames within the generally rectangular openings 30 of the housings10 or 20. Alternatively, the housings 10 or 20 could be modified toaccept the frames 330 by simply snipping away the portion of the housing10 located beneath the opening 30 to form a notch 324 that readilyaccepts a frame 330. If the frames 330 are formed of a good dielectricmaterial, any electrical components will be isolated from the junctionbox housing. Such isolation eliminates the need for grounding thehousing and allows compliance with various standards, such as Europeaninstallation standards IP 2,4 and 7.

FIGS. 20 and 21 further illustrate the versatility in positioningoffered by the junction box 100 of the present invention. A falseflooring system 110 is shown in FIG. 20 with a floor plate 40 having anaperture 42 that can be placed in any corner of the floor plate 40. Ofcourse, aperture 42 need not be square but may be any appropriate shapeand could be positioned in areas other than the corners, so long as atleast part of the space within a housing can be accessed through theaperture 42. Not only can the aperture 42 be placed virtually anywhereupon a floor plate 40, but as shown in FIGS. 21A-D, hatch 80 can bepositioned with the cable protector opening facing any one side ofaperture 42. Thus, a junction box 100 of the present invention can belocated virtually anywhere upon false flooring system 110 and providedwith a hatch facing any direction so that any outlets within thejunction box 100 are accessible for connection to equipment disposedabout false flooring system 110.

While the junction boxes disclosed are generally used with falseflooring systems, they are readily adaptable for use in virtually anyarea that needs a device for organizing and interfacing with a varietyof cables, wiring or even plumbing. For instance, the housing 300 couldbe readily modified to be secured between studs within a wall or toaccept plumbing outlets. Frames 330 could then be used to install, withsubstantial labor savings, numerous outlets within a wall junction boxcapable of organizing numerous cables and other wiring. Such a systemwould not only be easier to install than existing systems, it also wouldbe easier to modify since the service personnel need merely remove theframe in order to remove an outlet and disconnect a cable for rerouting.

The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining anddescribing several embodiments of the present invention. Modificationsand adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art and may be made without departing from thescope or spirit of the invention and the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A junction box combined with a flooring system,the junction box comprising:(a) a plurality of sides joined to form ahousing; (b) a flange attached to at least one of the plurality ofsides; (c) a skirt depending from the flange and located adjacent the atleast one side in order to form a passage between the skirt and theside; (d) a notch in the at least one side; and (e) means for securingan outlet within the notch.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 inwhich the housing is positioned within a false flooring systemcomprising a plurality of base plates for positioning on a floor andfrom each of which a plurality of stand-offs extend to support floorplates, whereby channels through which cables may travel are formed bythe stand-offs, base plates and floor plates.
 3. The combinationaccording to claim 1 in which the flange comprises means for holding thehousing in a selected position by contact with a plurality ofstand-offs.
 4. The combination according to claim 1 in which theflooring system comprises a plurality of supports for a floor plate,which comprises an opening through which the outlet within the housingmay be accessed and a hatch shaped to fit the opening and comprising:(a)means for releasably securing the hatch over the opening; and (b) meansfor providing access through the hatch to the housing.
 5. Thecombination according to claim 1 in which the housing is positionedwithin a false flooring system comprising a plurality of interconnectedstrips in which are formed pedestals that support floor panels.
 6. Thecombination according to claim 5 in which the flange comprises means forat least partially contacting with the pedestals in order to fix thehousing in place.
 7. A junction box comprising:(a) a plurality of sidesjoined to form a housing; (b) a flange attached to at least one of theplurality of sides; (c) a skirt depending from the flange and locatedadjacent the at least one side in order to form a passage between theskirt and the at least one side; (d) a notch in the at least one side;and (e) means for securing an outlet within the notch.
 8. A junction boxfor attachment to a surface comprising:(a) a housing defining aplurality of side walls, wherein at least one of the plurality of sidewalls defines a notch; and (b) a frame, comprising a central aperturecapable of accepting a cable connector means, for insertion into thenotch.
 9. A junction box according to claim 8 further comprising aflange attached to at least one of the plurality of side walls.
 10. Ajunction box according to claim 9 in which the flange is formed to atleast partially contact a plurality of supports in order to fix thehousing in place.
 11. A junction box according to claim 8 furthercomprising a bracket having a first leg that connects to at least one ofthe plurality of side walls and a second leg that runs parallel to theat least one side wall to form a trough.
 12. A junction box according toclaim 8 further comprising means for securing the junction box within afalse flooring system.
 13. A combination of a junction box and a falseflooring system into which the junction box is positioned, in which thejunction box comprises:(a) a housing defining a plurality of side walls,wherein at least one of the plurality of side walls defines a notch; and(b) a frame, comprising a central aperture capable of accepting a cableconnector means, for insertion into the notch.
 14. The combinationaccording to claim 13 in which the false flooring system comprisessupports that are attached to a base plate that secures to a floor andeach support is capable of engaging a floor panel to thereby form thefalse flooring system and in which the housing further comprises aflange formed to at least partially contact a group of the supports inorder to fix the housing in place.
 15. The combination according toclaim 13 in which the false flooring system comprises:(a) a plurality ofstrips in which are formed pedestals; (b) means for connecting thestrips; and (c) a floor panel supported by the pedestals.
 16. Thecombination according to claim 13 in which the false flooring systemcomprises:(a) a floor plate having a top surface and a bottom surfaceand having a first interlocking element; (b) a support comprising a baseplate with a plurality of stand-offs, each stand-off having a topsurface and extending from the base plate to support the floor plate,wherein the top surface of at least one of the standoffs includes asecond interlocking element for engaging the first interlocking elementof the floor plate; and (c) a plurality of channels defined by the baseplate, the floor plate and the stand-offs.
 17. A flooring systemprovided with apparatus for interfacing with and organizing cableslocated in channels, the flooring system comprising:(a) a plurality ofsupports; (b) means for connecting the supports; (c) a floor plateinterlocking with the plurality of supports; and (d) a junction boxcomprising a housing, shaped to fit between and be held in place by theplurality of supports, having quick connect means for securing an outletwithin the housing and a guard for preventing accidental contact withthe outlet.
 18. A flooring system according to claim 17 which theplurality supports are pedestals formed from interconnected strips thatattach to a floor.
 19. A flooring system according to claim 18 furthercomprising means for providing access through the floor plate to servicelines traveling through the channels and routed to the junction box.